Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

In 2011, the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will return to SMU for the second straight year. The 9th edition of the nationally-televised postseason college football bowl game will take place Friday, Dec. 30, in SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Kick-off time will be 11 a.m. CST, and ESPN will broadcast the game live.

SMU hosted the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl due to renovations at TCU’s historic Amon G. Carter Stadium, the game’s traditional venue. A facility-record crowd of 36,742 watched at Ford as Army posted a 16-14 win over SMU. The 2011 edition currently features a matchup between schools from Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference.

“We are excited to serve as the host of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl for the second-straight year,” said Steve Orsini, SMU’s director of athletics. “We enjoyed our association with the bowl staff and committee in 2010 and look forward to working with the group again in 2011. As we stated when we signed the initial agreement last August, the patriotism that this game represents is something with which we are proud to be associated.

“In addition, the hosting of this game in our stadium last December showcased our school and campus before a national television audience, and we look forward to having that opportunity again in 2011.”

The Mustangs will make their second consecutive bowl appearance in 2010 – and this time, the action takes place at home. SMU faces the Army Black Knights in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

Because the Armed Forces Bowl is a postseason game run by an outside organization, each attendee must purchase a ticket. To show appreciation for SMU’s faculty, staff and students, SMU Athletics is offering a 50% percent discount on game tickets to holders of valid SMU IDs – reducing the price from $40 to $20 each.

Faculty and staff may buy up to four (4) tickets at the discounted rate, and students may purchase one (1) ticket for personal use.

Discounted tickets must be purchased from the SMU Ticket Office, located on the north side of Ford Stadium. Show your SMU ID to receive the discount. Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec. 13, and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

In what seemed like mere moments after a hard-fought 17-7 loss to UCF for the Conference USA Championship, SMU announced on Saturday, Dec. 4 that it had accepted an invitation to play the Army Black Knights at the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. And this year, the Mustangs will play the game on home turf.

The Armed Forces Bowl, scheduled for 11 a.m. Dec. 30 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, will mark SMU’s second consecutive bowl appearance. It features a battle between “turnaround” teams, as Head Coach June Jones guides the Mustangs in a matchup against Army coach Rich Ellerson, who brought the 6-5 Black Knights back to postseason play after they only won more than three games five times in the past 14 seasons.

Traditionally played at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium, the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl will be played at SMU due to renovations at the Fort Worth venue.

According to the SMUMustangs.com press release, the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was “officially declared a sellout” last week with only standing-room tickets still available. ESPN will broadcast the Armed Forces Bowl nationwide.

The SMU Ticket Office is now taking orders for bowl tickets, which will be allocated based on SMU’s Priority Points system. The deadline for ordering with priority seating will be 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. After this deadline, tickets will be allocated and orders will be fulfilled. Any remaining tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets ordered through the SMU Ticket Office will be located in Mustang fan sections, which are designated by the bowl. For more information or to place an order, call 214-SMU-GAME (768-4263).

The 8th edition of the bowl game also marks the first time it will be played anywhere other than Carter Stadium, located on TCU’s campus. The Carter renovation is scheduled to begin immediately following the Horned Frogs’ regular-season schedule this fall.

“Fort Worth certainly remains the home of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, and we are excited about the enhancements in store for Amon G. Carter Stadium,” said Brant B. Ringler, executive director of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. “In the meantime, we are looking forward to the opportunity to showcase our bowl in Dallas to those fans who may not have had a chance to experience our game before, and we truly appreciate SMU and its athletic department for providing a quality venue for our bowl game.”

“We are very excited to serve as the host of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl this December and help our friends at TCU and in Fort Worth,” said Steve Orsini, SMU’s director of athletics. “The patriotism that this game represents is something with which we are proud to be associated, and we are more than happy to host this game in our great stadium on our beautiful campus right in the heart of Dallas.”